


Up Against the Dark

by Vagrant_Blvrd



Series: Between the Stars [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29879157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagrant_Blvrd/pseuds/Vagrant_Blvrd
Summary: Luke honestly doesn’t know what it says about him that he ends up in these situations.Really.“Strange,” the Mand’alor says, a pained note to his voice, which is fair as he literally just took a bullet for Luke. “I think it says you’re an idiot.”
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Between the Stars [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196822
Comments: 46
Kudos: 144





	Up Against the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for Anon who asked for dinluke in a superhero AU. :D???

Luke honestly doesn’t know what it says about him that he ends up in these situations.

Really.

“Strange,” the Mand’alor says, a pained note to his voice, which is fair as he literally just took a bullet for Luke. “I think it says you’re an idiot.”

Luke’s hands still over the man’s chest – the armor, he knows, is strong enough to withstand a hell of a lot more than a bullet, but human fears and logic aren’t the best of friends on a good day.

Besides, there’s a soft squishy human inside the armor. 

Luke’s been in the Mand’alor’s place before, comes with the territory of being the kid of two highly important figures who have enemies and Luke’s own terrible life choices and anyway, Kevlar is amazing stuff but it still hurts like hell when you get shot.

“Oh my God,” Luke says, pushing the other idiot in the room back down because aside from the bullet there had been a hefty blow to the head and anyway. “You don’t get to go all judgmental on me, _Mand’alor_.”

========

“Congratulations on not being dead,” Leia says, and high-fives Luke as she sits across the tiny desk in the cramped office he never asked for, so of course they gave it to him. “Amazing work.”

It’s possible, Luke thinks, that the two of them have a skewed concept of normal.

“Oh, wow, thanks,” Luke says, flashing her one of his Press Smiles. Humble but not too humble, because it was a team effort, Luke not dying and all. “I do try.”

Leia hums, eyes locked onto the butterfly bandage on his cheek, the shadows under his eyes.

“Try harder,” she says, and while her tone is firm, no-nonsense, there’s relief and worry and fond exasperation in her eyes, the faint curve of her lips. “Otherwise I’ll have to take over your job here and no one wants that.”

She pretends to shudder, taking in the shabbiness of their surroundings. A building older than the two of them put together and very much lived in, or whatever the equivalent would be.

“Rude,” Luke says, because he feels someone should. “That’s no way to talk about the charity foundation you’re using to bolster your image, senator.”

Although, really, if that’s what Leia was hoping to do with this particular charity foundation, she’s made a terrible mistake.

Because a woman in politics with a deadbeat brother no doubt doing something nefarious with the funds of said charity. Alcohol or drugs maybe, or a string of of lovers he’s paying to keep quiet, he can never keep up with the tabloids these days.

Leia raises an eyebrow.

“Speaking of,” she says. “The gala next week.”

Luke almost prefers being shot at to what he knows is coming next.

“Do you have a date yet?” She smiles, sweetness and light as she moves in for the kill. “Or are you waiting on your knight in shining armor to come to your rescue?”

========

So.

Luke is the official face of this charity he helps old Ben run to help keep kids off the street. Give them a safe place to go, programs in place to help them with their education and foster a sense of self-worth and so on.

And as much as he loves the work he does there, he has no damn idea how it happened.

One moment he was a washed up has-been, to hear the tabloids tell it. Former rising star, son of the infamous Anakin Skywalker...and his wife. 

The one who had the kids and smiled so pretty for cameras, as though she wasn’t a political powerhouse in her own right, and anyway, never mind Luke, because she almost preferred it that way. Made it so much more satisfying when she cut someone’s feet from under them, and anyway.

His family is terrifying.

But there had been the “accident”, kid of a rich and powerful couple who wouldn’t know responsibility if it bit him on the ass and a fast car on a narrow and winding road in the mountains and lucky he’d only lost his hand, given the number of people who’d died up there every year.

The months afterward when he was barely seen outside the family compound, supposedly wallowing in misery and all that before a family friend stepped in with a proposition for Luke, and now here he is.

Ben’s content to let Luke smile pretty for the cameras, all serene calm Luke is a bit envious of, and sly smiles whenever Luke asks if it bothers him, since the foundation was his idea.

 _“I’m an old man now, Luke. No one wants to see my face on the front page anymore,”_ which honestly was a damn lie because the man’s something of a silver fox, but whatever. Luke knows how to take one for the team.

The thing – one of the things – Luke dreads most about his work with the foundation is the fundraisers. Events where he has to dress up and smile, smile, smile. Put up with snide remarks and disdainful side-eyes. Worse, pitying looks when people stare at the glove on his hand and the scars on his face and comment on what a promising career he’d had before his accident, such a shame, really.

Thankfully, as much as Ben likes to tease Luke about being the foundation’s younger, prettier face, he always steps in when he senses Luke is at his limit for dealing with other people’s bullshit.

From years of working with Luke’s dad, now that he thinks about it. To hear Ben tell it, he was more of a hotheaded mess than Luke is, and really, Ben deserves a raise. Or maybe a vacation from dealing with Skywalkers.

Both, probably.

========

Han calls Din his gentleman caller, which.

Luke doesn’t even know. Suspects it has something to do with Chewie’s love of period dramas and such, but he never asks. 

“Han, why are you like this?”

It’s a question Luke asks often, because Han is always _like that_ , and he never gets a satisfactory answer from the man.

Luke has his own place in the city, but the tabloids love to camp out there when Luke makes the news as if they’d only just remembered he’s a human disaster.

Which is why he’s staying at the compound for the time being. High walls and security comprised of the troopers who’d followed his father and Ben when they left the Order. With Rex and Cody in in charge, no one who shouldn’t be at the compound is getting past any of them.

Which makes Han’s continued presence here a mystery some days. Chewie’s always a delight to have around, but Han? 

_Menace_.

Han shrugs, tumbler of whiskey in his hand and smug look on his face. “You seem a little uptight, Luke. Any reason for that?”

Well, Luke thinks, one of them is named Han and the other is named Leia, and he’s reasonably sure they’re going to turn supervillain one day.

All the earmarks are there.

“ _Behave_ ,” Luke hisses, and scurries off to rescue Din from the clutches of the family butler, who is much loved but also a bit much for some people, and anyway. “I mean it, don’t do whatever you’re planning on doing.”

Han smirks, tipping Luke a wink as he goes back to his game of chess with Chewie.

========

Din is not so secretly laughing at Luke as he explains the whole...gala event to him and Leia’s visit and also the fact his family is trying to drive him mad.

Because Leia setting Luke up with prospective suitors even though Luke is dating Din – kind of, sort of, they never made it official – but Leia and loopholes and tormenting Luke for funsies.

“Oh?” he asks, the complete bastard. “What tipped you off?”

Luke scowls at Din. At his dumb face, and dumb pretty eyes, and dumb soft smile full of fondness and affection, and especially at that dumb mustache of his.

“I was going to ask you to be my date for the gala, but now it’s an order.”

Because yes, that’s not a horrible thing to say to someone Luke maybe has strong feelings for. 

Or, like, anyone ever.

For some reason Din’s still laughing at him, hands on Luke’s face as he leans in to press his forehead against Luke’s and says, as if he isn’t perfectly aware of Luke’s stint in the military, “Sir, yes sir.”

========

“Oh, come on,” Luke mutters, hiding behind an overturned table, spilled drinks and expensive hors d’oeuvres scattered around his feet. “Can’t we go to one gala without this happening?”

It’s a rhetorical question, of course, because the answer is obviously no.

Not when there’s an event with one or more Skywalkers or a Kenobi present, apparently.

Speaking of - 

“It would be great if you could stop laughing now,” Luke says, because good old Ben is crouched next to him. Chuckling. “This is a serious matter.”

It should be, Luke knows. It really, really should be.

But the group of armed people in tactical gear who interrupted the speeches – excellent timing – are horrifically bad at whatever they’re trying to do.

Most of the gala’s guests managed to escape, fled in the chaos after the gunmen came in through the skylights. Ushered out by security or hiding elsewhere in the building. 

Din is...somewhere in this mess. 

Got this Very Tired look to his face and shoved Luke towards the front doors with the rest of the crowd when things got dangerous. Clearly he’d expected Luke to be smart enough to take the hint and get himself the hell out like anyone in their right mind would, but, well.

Luke’s a Skywalker, and as so many of his inner circle likes to remind him, they’re not all that smart when it comes down to it.

Are, actually, indescribably dumb.

“No, no, you’re right,” Ben says, still chuckling even as he attempts to look serious. “I apologize.”

Which, of course, is right when one of the gunmen rounds the end of the table and sees them.

Luke knows the guy recognizes him because his weapon, which had been vaguely pointed at the floor snaps up, aimed at his head and he starts yelling to his friends. Running footsteps and more yelling before he gets pulled to his feet and prodded long with a gun in his back with Ben next to him.

========

The Mand’alor is a mystery the press and tabloids are still trying to crack years after he came on the superhero scene.

A man (or is he? The tabloids love to speculate he might be a robot) in shiny, shiny armor and shiny, shiny weapons who appears to thwart crime and evil-doers and - at least in Luke’s personal experience – sigh.

He shows up again here, comes flitting in on that jetpack of his, booted feet taking one of the gunmen down as he comes in for a hard landing. Disarms another with his whipcord and becomes a whirling vortex of hands and feet and that spear of his.

“Oh my,” Ben says in an undertone to Luke. “He _is_ quite impressive.”

Luke’s eyes narrow because Ben is smiling serenely at him, hands clasped before him and looking like a wise old man who has so much wisdom to impart.

So much.

“Well,” Luke says. “Superhero, you know? I hear they’re all like that.”

Ben chuckles and the gunman standing guard on them jabs his gun in Luke’s back with a warning to stay quiet.

========

What the gunmen lack in training of any kind, they make for up in numbers.

The Mand’alor is doing well against them, doesn’t have much of a fight on his hands, but there are so many of them and there are a rare few who aren’t just throwing themselves at him hoping to be the one to bring him down.

“Luke,” Ben murmurs, eyes flicking towards one of the gunmen creeping along the upper floor opposite them, rifle in hand and so far unnoticed from the combatants below.

Ben raises an eyebrow at Luke, who sighs.

A moment later Ben clutches at his chest, makes pained noises and gasps something about pain in his chest.

It startles their guard so much he doesn’t even see it when Luke’s elbow catches him on the side of his face, prosthetic hand gripping the barrel of his gun as he rips it from the dazed man’s hold. 

Ben flashes Luke a grin and then hand signals Luke learned before he could speak – that skewed sense of normal of his and Leia’s again – and the two of them set out to hunt.

========

Luke’s retired.

Or as close to it as someone like him can get to it, anyway.

Lost the drive he’d had when it came to being a superhero after the bitter betrayal that cost him his hand and almost killed his father. Left the Order behind without a single glance back, and honestly, he thinks it was one of the best decisions of his life.

No more secret organizations dictating how to live his life with their rules and mandates and stuffy High Council who seem to be stuck in time. Stagnating.

He’s still being watched, though. Considered a rogue, along with his father and even Ben. Dangerous to the Order and potential threats, and it’s all just a little exhausting at times.

No matter how little he wants to do with the Order these days, he can’t deny it trained him well.

Taught him to use his powers, unpredictable as they can be sometimes. Trained him to fight, fashioned him into a weapon the same way they’d done with his father, with Ben.

Aimed them at the Order’s enemies. Planted them where the Order felt they’d serve the most use.

Luke enlisting in the military to follow in his father’s footsteps, the start of a legacy, perhaps. And then he’d resigned because they needed him on one of the prominent superhero teams to gain yet more favor for the Order like his father before him. Gave them masks and cloaks and code names, and let them do good in the Order’s name.

And then when Luke and his father asked too many questions, Palpatine turned the Order against them.

His final mistake, as Ben likes to say, because Skywalkers are more dangerous than you’d expect them to be, especially when you threaten one of their own.

The Order is still rebuilding itself, all this time later. Weakened and vulnerable and wary of what Luke and his father, the others who left the Order with them, are capable of.

Luke knows it’s unfitting of a Jedi to feel petty satisfaction at all of it, but he’s not a Jedi anymore, is he?

========

Luke and Ben take out the gunmen on the upper floor quickly, quietly. Not a shot fired, no injuries on their part.

He smiles as he watches Ben in action. One of the Order’s finest Jedi, exquisite control over his powers that was the envy of many a Jedi.

Luke’s own powers don’t lend themselves to combat well, but they give him a warning before he stumbles into a gunman about to round a corner. Another nervously looking out a window twitchy and anxious and timing is everything.

The whole thing is like the old days, really, so naturally things go pear-shaped just when he thinks they have everything well in hand up here.

He sees Ben’s eyes widen, hears him yell a warning, and too late to be truly helpful he feels a flicker of hostile intent coming towards them. Luke turns to see a gunman at the top of the stairs, gun trained on them. That changes, though, with Ben’s warning shout, and his aim snaps to Ben.

Luke doesn’t even have to think about it when he moves, because the Order trained him well and he really does know how to take a bullet for the team.

========

Ben is lecturing Luke.

Worry in his eyes, Luke’s blood on his hands, and still the man is lecturing him.

“Damned Skywalkers,” he’s saying, and something about Luke inheriting his father’s idiocy, his recklessness, all of which is true, if not a little hurtful. “Thought I’d gotten away with dealing with their antics when I started the foundation.”

Luke actually laughs at that, batting Ben’s hands away as he pokes and prods. “By asking a Skywalker to help you? I thought you were supposed to be smarter than that.”

Ben scowls at him, but he helps Luke up into a sitting position when Luke flails a hand in his general direction.

His entire chest hurts, pain radiating from a spot just above his ribs. Nothing feels broken, but breathing isn’t fun, and he just wants to not move for a little bit. Maybe take a nap.

Something.

A glance at Ben’s hands and the blood on them gets a sigh from Ben and the man taking Luke’s hands in his.

Well. 

Hand.

Glass and other bits of debris from dealing with the other gunmen and Luke managing to land in some of it, hand scrabbling in the mess before Ben got to him.

“At least you remembered to wear your body armor this time,” Ben says, poking Luke’s chest like the monster he secretly is. “I swear, you’re just like your father in that regard.”

Luke grimaces, because _ow_ , and also rude, and just.

He knows Ben never goes without, but like he’s fond of reminding Luke when it suits him, he’s an old man now. Took more than his share of hits over the years, and Luke’s young, he can take it.

“It restricts our movement,” which isn’t an actual excuse, and he knows it, because really. 

Luke forgets.

Should be impossible with the number of people who try to kill him on a regular basis, but still. He forgets.

A heavy sigh from behind them as Luke turns to look – and then winces, little noise of pain escaping him because the body armor saved his life, but he still got shot, and anyway.

“Ow,” he says, prosthetic hand pressed to his ribs seeing as Ben is still holding his flesh and bone one, and honestly, it’s not been the best day ever. “Also, hey.”

The Mand’alor gives Luke a look, resigned, and then looks to Ben for an assessment of Luke’s condition because he knows better than to trust Luke on things like that from his own personal experience with Luke.

“I doubt anything’s broken,” Ben says, and Luke shakes his head because he’s known Ben all his life and the man is a terrible human being, really. The worst. “However, I wouldn’t recommend any strenuous activity for the time being, if you know what I mean.”

Luke facepalms, prosthetic cool against the heat that’s flooded his face. The Mand’alor coughs awkwardly and mutters an acknowledgment before abandoning Luke like an utter coward. Scurries on off to check the gunmen Luke and Ben took care of leaving Luke to Ben’s tender mercies and shriveled, black heart as the man laughs at them.

========

The police are, as always, a delight to deal with.

Ben takes the lead this time with one last jab of his finger against Luke’s chest when he opens his mouth to give Ben a hard time for his noble sacrifice.

“Don’t make me regret my decision,” he says, but there’s a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “Or I’ll leave you to talk to Mace on your own.”

Luke’s not a complete idiot, so he keeps his mouth shut and leans into his young socialite who’s had a very unpleasant day act harder than he usually would because it’s been a long day.

He manages something like a smile for Mace, because the press is there just beyond the police cordon. Cameras and reporters and Luke knows better than to start rumors he may not get along with the police commissioner.

Mace, however, doesn’t bother.

Displeased with the way Luke, his father, and Ben left things with the Order, even if he’s grateful Palpatine and his followers were exposed for what they were.

A glare for Luke while Ben gets a less severe scowl.

Treated fairly, for all he’s not their greatest fan, and anyway.

“Skywalker,” he says, with something Luke would almost think is concern in his voice, “get the hell out of my face.”

Such a gem, Mace Windu. 

An utter delight.

========

The Mand’alor left before the police caught so much of a glimpse of the man the way he tends to. Not much for attention, really.

Din, though, is waiting for him in the milling crowd past the police cordon. Cody’s there with him, must have driven like a madman to get here so fast from the compound.

Luke smiles at the soft sigh from Ben when he notices Cody.

Gives him a look, though, for all the times Ben’s teased Luke over his own romantic entanglements, as he calls them.

Ben laughs at him, them, and gives Luke a gentle nudge towards Din. “Go on,” he says, “but make sure you get looked at before you go home.”

Wherever that is these days, he doesn’t say, but Luke hears all the same.

========

“You’re a mess,” Din says, which is applicable to the state of Luke’s life in general and also everything that happened tonight, so. 

Luke smiles, tired and hurting and more than ready to get the hell out of here. “You always say the sweetest things to me.”

Din rolls his eyes and escorts Luke to his car where they have a very romantic evening of visiting the ER.

A doctor informs them Luke’s ribs are spectacularly bruised while a nurse plucks glass and other fun things out of his hand.

When they’re done there, Din swinging by the pharmacy to pick up the medications the doctor prescribed for Luke, they go back to Din’s place.

Luke should probably be concerned at the fact that there are so many highly secure compounds in his life, but really, it’s a relief to know people he cares about have homes as safe as that with the lives they lead.

Most importantly, though, is the fact that Din’s there, and so is his ridiculously adorable son Luke loves so much words fail him.

“Thank you for the romantic night out,” Luke says, and grins at Din’s heavy sigh and helpless smile. “I hope you don’t mind if I say I’d rather not do it again, though.”

========

Luke doesn’t know if it’s a holdover from his time with the Order or just something innately Skywalker, but he has a fondness for rooftops.

“That makes absolutely no sense whatever, you realize that, right?”

Luke shrugs, looking over to where the Mand’alor’s landed courtesy of that jetpack of his.

It’s late, and he needed a break from wrangling administrative nonsense to do with the foundation. Ben went home hours ago, a knowing look in his eye when Luke told him he’d leave before too soon as well.

Because superheros and the cities they patrol, and anyway.

“Hey,” Luke says, watching as the city’s newest protector walks towards him. “Nice to see you again.”

Surprisingly, neither one of them has been shot, although the hem of the Mand’alor’s cape looks significantly singed.

There’s a quiet sigh, the Mand’alor stopping in front of him.

Luke smiles up at him, bright and sunny and the utter bastard Leia and so many accuse him of being.

“I don’t know why I put up with you,” Din says, and leans down to press his forehead against Luke’s - 

Luke stops him with a hand on his chest. “We shouldn’t,” he says, deeply conflicted as only a man torn between two loves can be. “I’m seeing someone.”

There’s a long moment of silence.

And then another.

The Mand’alor draws back to look at Luke in the way Luke knows means narrowed eyes and this inability to express the sheer exasperation the Mand’alor’s feeling at the moment.

A common thing with Luke for some reason.

And then, softly, quietly, and with great feeling, “You’re an idiot.”

Luke laughs, because the man’s not wrong, but still.

“Seems a bit harsh,” he says, and this time when the Mand’alor leans in, Luke doesn’t stop him.

========

“Have you seen the tabloids yet?” Leia asks before Luke’s properly awake.

Which makes sense in that he’s still in bed at his family’s compound, Din burrowed under the blankets and pillows beside him because superhero hours are the absolute worst.

“Leia,” Luke says, reaching for a pillow to either block out the light coming though the curtains or smother himself, he’s undecided, “please leave.”

She doesn’t though, not Leia.

No.

She snatches the pillow out of his hands and replaces it with one of the tabloids she’s going on about.

Very much against his will Luke pries his eyes opens and focuses on Leia’s face hovering at the side of the bed.

She looks terrifyingly delighted, like all her Christmases have come at once, and also a little as though she’s finally attained world domination.

She feels like joy and sunshine and a glee that fills Luke with dread.

Instinctively he looks to Din, but all he does is mutter something incomprehensible and burrow deeper into the nest he’s made for himself in Luke’s bed.

Sighing, Luke finally looks at the tabloid – and his brain grinds to a halt.

Leia cackles.

Luke stares at the headlines, the blurry, grainy photo of him on the roof of the foundation. The Mand’alor who is clearly well inside Luke’s personal space bubble, what with his forehead touching Luke’s. (There’s an inset close-up of it that’s been enhanced to show it better.)

The headlines are screaming about Luke Skywalker’s infidelity to his latest beau.

There’s definitely some irony there, what with the whole secret identity situation and all.

Mostly, though, it’s the speculation that’s insulting.

“Wait, they don’t think I’m good enough for either of them?”

Leia’s cackling intensifies.

Luke wants a word with someone. Maybe two. 

“This isn’t funny, Leia,” Luke says, even though it is a little. “They seriously don’t - “

Din cuts Luke off by wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him down beside him. Luke lets him, because it’s Din, and anyway, he flops around until he can see Din’s face, one eye peeking at him over the blankets.

It looks amused.

Somewhere, Leia’s cackling trails off as she leaves them alone, her dark work done.

“Hey,” Luke says. And because he can’t help himself, “I’m cheating on you, by the way.”

Din snorts, arm around Luke tightening. “I thought so,” he says, a smile in his voice. “All those strange hours you keep. Paper-thin excuses. It all adds up.”

Luke drops the tabloid off the side of the bed and worms his way closer to Din, who watches him, amusement growing.

He doesn’t seem as broken up about this revelation as Luke expected him to be, and then says, like it’s not a devastating thing to say to someone, “Technically, I cheated on you first.”

Which is true, actually.

They met when Luke was still part of the Order, working with a superhero team at the time. A case where Luke ran into a Mandalorian and his life somehow became even more ridiculous with the secret identity farce.

Also, why Leia is taking such joy in this new scandal Luke will have to deal with now. She was smart enough to say no when offered the choice to join the Order. Didn’t have half the complicated relationship with Han.

“We should probably work on that,” Luke says. “The cheating thing. Not conducive to a healthy relationship and such.”

Din hums. “Or,” he says, because he’s also something of a terrible human being. “We could have some fun with _them_ for a change.”

When he puts it like that, it does sound appealing.

Luke’s reputation is already in tatters as far as the press and tabloids are concerned. Anyone who matters knows the truth, and anyway.

Like Din, and indeed most people in Luke’s life, Luke is something of a terrible human being.

“Okay,” he says, “but I take no responsibility for whatever happens when we do.”

Din laughs, this quiet little huff, and reels Luke in to drop a kiss on the top of his head. “Duly noted,” he says around a yawn. “But we still have a few hours before we have to get up, and I’d like to sleep.”

Ah, the glamorous life of a superhero, especially one who has to contend with the added stress of keeping up a secret identity.

Luke doesn’t miss it.

“Well, if you insist,” he says, as though it’s such a hardship, the chance to spend more time with Din somewhere safe and warm. 

He smiles at Din’s sigh because he’s a terrible human being when it comes down to it, and for some reason Din doesn’t seem to mind.


End file.
